AI technician service for SW
AI technician service for SW
DAIRY breeding company Avoncroft will soon be offering an AI technician service in the south-west.
Announcing the initiative at this weeks South West Dairy Event, Shepton Mallet, business development manager Ian Stavert said the new service was the largest step the company had taken since purchasing Herdwise UK in March last year, and had cost "several hundred thousand £s" to set up.
Planned expansion
It was the first stage of a planned expansion from its existing midlands base into the south-west, which would give potential access to a further half a million cows.
The move comes at a time when its main competitor Genus is reducing the number of its regional AI service centres.
Main benefits to farmers would be faster delivery of semen on to farms, undercutting what he claimed was the current one week turnaround achieved by its competitors, Genus and Beeflink UK.
Insemination costs would also be more competitive at £6.50 for a first insemination and £5 for a repeat. "There will obviously be some level of banding within that, with reduced rates for serving larger numbers of animals," said Mr Stavert.
Avoncroft AI services will start in mid-Devon, based from Tiverton, on Monday (Oct 6) and in southern Cornwall within the week.